Orion Township, MI – The smell of burning trees lingered in the air at the site where a towering fire fueled by a broken gas main burned Monday night on Brown Road near Joslyn in Orion Township on the Auburn Hills border.

Workers from Consumers Energy kept reporters and curious visitors at bey while they and officials investigated the site on Tuesday. At about 10pm Monday firefighters responded to a report of a broken gas line. As they arrived it ignited a fire that could be seen for ten miles or more away. The eruption also knocked out 911 service for over a dozen communities through Oakland County, which was restored at around 3pm.

A video taken by Oakland County Sheriff’s Office shows what remains, including a hole about 30 feet deep surrounded by a ring of charred trees and vegetation. An orange fence surrounds the hole for safety.

There were no injuries from the fire and damage was minimal because the lot was nearly vacant.

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